When we arrived back in the Fajardo, the rental car company van was waiting, and shortly we were on our way to El Junque. A few years ago we visited the Caribbean National Forest, but it was shortly after a hurricane had severely damaged parts of the park and we were not able to tour much of it. (As of April 2nd, the official name of the park is "El Yunque National Forest."
Our first stop was the Yokahu Tower, which was closed on our previous visit. This tower was built by the CCC back in the 1930's and it provides a fabulous view of the sea and the surrounding countryside.
After a quick stop to consult a map, we headed to the end of the Mt. Britton trail. The hike up to the Mt. Britton tower is easier than it looks--that's the tower at the top of the mountain in the picture on the left. The trails in the park are textured concrete and rocks, not very wide but providing good traction even when wet (most of the time).
Since it was not raining on this particular day, we could see the seashore and also the outskirts of San Juan (not shown).
We still had some energy left, so we decided to return to La Mina falls, a spot we had visited 6 years earlier. This time it wasn't Sunday so we went for a dip in the falls--very cold.
At the end of the day, we drove to the Ceiba Country Inn where we spent the night, dozing off to the sound of Coqui frogs.
In the morning, we drove around the Northeastern corner of Puerto Rico, then went to Luquillo beach for a couple of hours. There is not snorkeling, but the beach is lovely, located on the former site of a coconut palm plantation.
Sadly, it was time to return home after a memorable stay.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Puerto Rico!! Part 5--El Junque
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Puerto Rico!! Part 4--Vieques
Vieques may be familiar to you--for a long time the Navy liked to bomb it for practice. A few years ago, protesters managed to get the Navy to leave. Now it is developing as a tourist destination.
Getting to Vieques from Culebra requires taking the ferry from Culebra to Fajardo, then taking the ferry from Fajardo to Vieques. Fortunately there is less than an hour between ferries so soon enough, we were taking a Publico for $3 each from Isabel Segundo, where the ferry dock is located, to Esparanza, where we are staying. One of the great things about this town is the seaside Malecon.
Vieques is slowly becoming a more upscale tourist destination (The Martineau Bay is being transformed into a "W" resort) but there was nothing upscale about our hotel, the Posada Vistamar. At least it was much cheaper than our digs in Culebra. To its credit, it had a great shower, a fridge, and an air conditioner. Unfortunately, there were a couple of roosters living within 15 feet of our door and the air conditioner was not loud enough to drown them out at 4 a.m.
Our main purpose in coming to Vieques was going on a bioluminescent bay tour on Monday evening. We had low expectations of any snorkeling opportunities but decided to follow advice on the internet and swim to the island on the right in the picture at the top of the post. On the swim out, we saw nothing but grass and an eel so our expectations were low. We swam to the right once we got to the island and gradually the underwater scenery got better and better (sorry, we left the camera behind). It was the best snorkeling of the trip. Before we knew it we were partway around the island and decided to continue. On the other side, it was much deeper and the ocean much rougher. Too late to turn back, we continued around, very relieved to make it back alive.
That evening we feasted on delicious hamburgers at Bananas, then went on our bioluminescent bay kayak tour. Again, sorry no pictures. It was an interesting expeience to run our arms through the water having them light up. A ray went by leaving a wide swath of light. In January, I recommend a shorty wetsuit as we got cold.
Here is a reminder of more turbulent times in Vieques.
Tuesday morning we returned to Isabel Segundo to take the ferry back to the main island. The two tourist attractions there are the fort and the lighthouse, both providing commanding views of the harbor.
We plan to return to Vieques when we can stay longer!!
Puerto Rico!! Part 3--More Culebra
Posting pictures got to be too difficult so I'm doing a second Culebra post
Our second full day (Saturday) found us repeating the first day--catching a Publico van to Flamenco beach, then hiking to Tamarindo beach for snorkeling.
Once again we tried to make an early start only to wait a bit for a van to appear. It was the same van we had taken both ways the day before, again $2 each one way. The winds have really picked up and red flags are flying at Flamenco beach. The hike to Tamarindo is uneventful other than a snake crossing the path.
Today the ocean is rough enough that visibility is poor. We try to snorkel, but it is hard to see much with so much sand in the water. So, we hike back over the hill and spend some time at Flamenco beach, one of the world's best beaches. Sadly, none of the pictures capture the beauty of this spot.
We made our way back to town, rested a bit, then hiked to Melones. There was some great scenery on the way.
Unlike Tamarindo, the ocean is calm and the sights amazing. At Melones, you go to the end of the street and enter the water carefully to avoid stepping on the numerous sea urchins.
Today, Melones is spectacular with great visibility and lots of underwater critters to see.
On Sunday it's time to move from Culebra to Vieques. It is sad to leave this island paradise behind.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Puerto Rico!! Part 2--Culebra
On day 3 we made our way to Culebra, one of the "Spanish Virgin Islands" off the East Coast of Puerto Rico.
Not sure that getting there was half the fun as it involved a rental car pickup to Fajardo (50 miles or so) seeing a few sights on the way, returning the rental car in Fajardo, getting a ride in the rental car company van to the ferry terminal, then taking the ferry to Culebra (there is no public transportation to Fajardo). The crossing was rough, especially since the captain was in a great hurry, making the trip in 65 minutes instead of the 90 it is supposed to take--fare $2.25 each way, $1 if you are 60.
Our hotel for the 3 day stay was Mamacitas which was a short walk from the ferry terminal in Dewey, the only town on the island. A "5" star hotel it is not; in fact I would give it a "1" despite the fact that it was the most expensive hotel room we had ever paid for out of our own pockets. This is not to say it did not have its charms, mainly that it is located in town on this beautiful paradise of an island. And, it did have a fridge, microwave, and a DVD player. But, it also had one not so comfortable double bed and a shower with water heated on the spot.
You will not find luxury or cheap accommodations on Culebra (unless you camp at Flamenco beach) and it's either time consuming (by ferry) or expensive (by plane) to get there. But Culebra has become one of our all time favorite vacation spots. It's very laid back, friendly, safe, and did I mention the beaches and snorkeling?
We arrived late in the afternoon, got settled in, picked up a few provisions, and got a pizza at Heathers--a bit undercooked so a little disappointing. In the morning, we managed to find a van to take us to Flamenco beach for $2 per person. From the Flamenco beach parking lot, we followed the trail to what we thought was Carlos Rosario beach but was actually Tamarindo beach. The snorkeling was fantastic and very close to shore. Fish were not as plentiful, but the coral was very vibrant and healthy. We saw lot of the usual fish--French Angelfish, trumpet fish, squirrelfish, parrotfish, grunts, sergeant major, snapper, etc.
Later that day, we walked to Melones beach, a kilometer or so from Dewey. Mary Anne looked around and declared it worth a return trip the next day.
More underwater photos from Tamarindo Beach:
Puerto Rico!! Part 1--San Juan
In January, Charles and Mary Anne used a business trip as an excuse for an 8 day trip to Puerto Rico.
As part of a Booz Allen contract with DHS, Charles has been presenting Investment planning training to local officials in state capitals around the country. As a US territory, Puerto Rico also requested the training and Charles was part of the team. So, 2 days of the trip were spent in San Juan at the Condado Plaza Hotel.
The Condado Plaza Hotel is located on Ashford Avenue just before it crosses a bridge over the mouth of the Condado Lagoon heading toward Old San Juan. The hotel is undergoing renovation which meant lots of construction noise and no running water during the daytime. No worries as we did not come to Puerto Rico to hang out in a hotel room!
The beach at the hotel is actually on Condado Lagoon which is great since it is a somewhat protected area and actually offers some OK snorkeling, about the only
place you can snorkel in the San Juan area. The hotel has nice facilities--fitness centers, 3 pools, several hot tubs, tennis courts, and hammocks.
Charles had to work hard but still got to snorkel, swim, and see Old San Juan at night (below right)
More pictures:
View of the Caribe Hilton from the beach, Condado Lagoon, and our hotel room.
After our second night at the Condado Plaza, it was time to move on to our next adventure--Culebra!!